University sophomore Mike Filippelli pays for his textbooks on a credit card. His student loans go toward expenses such as rent, food and electricity bills.
Filippelli, who is the newly elected Student Senate treasurer, said he is taking two tuition-discounted classes this term.
“I don’t exactly have the time for another job,” he said.
This scenario isn’t rare.
As part of a national campaign, Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group and state PIRGs around the country are taking action against “skyrocketing” textbook prices in an effort to make college more accessible and affordable for current and future students.
A report published in July by the Government Accountability Office confirmed previous research by state PIRGs that textbook prices are rising at four times the rate of inflation.
“The average student will spend $900 each year on textbooks, equivalent to 17.5 percent of tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and 43 percent of these costs to two-year public institutions,” according to Ripoff 101, the state PIRGs’ higher education project from February.
“Over a four-year college career, textbooks will add $3,600 or more to the average student’s college expenses,” it states.
The national campaign against unnecessary new editions and the common practice of “bundling” books with CD-ROMs is now attracting the attention of student governments across the nation, including the ASUO.
Last week the ASUO Executive and Student Senate joined the coalition by signing a resolution to “keep the cost of producing textbooks as low as possible,” give options to buy unbundled textbooks and “pass on cost-savings to students once purely online textbooks are on the market.”
Three leading higher education textbook publishers, Thomson, McGraw-Hill and Pearson, had not responded to Emerald inquiries as of press time.
Jenny Manning, coordinator for OSPIRG, said Tuesday during a press conference in the University Bookstore that any practices which impede the affordability and access of a college education should be closely monitored.
“Students across the country are starting to fight back,” she said, “now it’s the student government’s turn.”
ASUO President Adam Walsh praised the action by OSPIRG during the press conference.
Manning said the resolution will be sent to all publishers whose books are sold at the University bookstore.
“We want to let them know that people are aware of their tactics,” she said after the conference.
Bookstore General Manager Jim Williams said he is working with OSPIRG and the library to address their concerns and make sure that professors are selecting books responsibly by requiring new ones only when necessary.
At the beginning of next term, OSPIRG will host a student book swap.
For more information about the coalition and campaign, visit MakeTextbooksAffordable.com or OSPIRGstudents.org.
Contact the campus and federal politics reporter at [email protected]
